Why Your Body Needs to Have Enough Water
Getting enough water every day is essential to our health. Our body is composed of at least 60% water, and will continue to function well with proper water intake. Despite it being so beneficial, inexpensive and sometimes even free, it is easily and often neglected. Nowadays, however, water has become increasingly popular – in fact, carrying a bottled water everywhere these days has become a trend.
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If you are not yet convinced, don’t be so quick to judge – read on to find out how essential it is to meet our daily water needs. Drinking water can help aid our body in many ways including digestion, absorption, circulation, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Water can also help control calories. It does not have any magical effect on weight loss, but it is proven that staying hydrated can help suppress appetite. Water also helps keep our skin looking good and moisturized. One of its most beneficial functions is that it helps our body get rid of unwanted bacteria and waste. It aids our kidney in cleansing and getting rid of body toxins, and also promotes regular bowel function. After all, we do not want our body collecting waste and causing health problems along the way.
The recommended amount of daily water intake may vary depending on how active a person is. It is said that in normal conditions most people can drink enough water to meet their daily needs. However, what is said to be a relatively simple thing to do, can easily be left out because of our hectic lifestyles.
Keeping in mind these benefits will hopefully make drinking water a priority in our daily routine.
Reason 1: Water assists digestion
Water helps digest food, breaking down nutrients for easy passage through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. It helps form food into soft stools that move along easily through the intestinal tract.
Reason 2: Water is a transporter
Water gets things around the body to do what they are supposed to do. Blood, which is primarily water, transports oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in the body.
Reason 3: Water regulates body temperature
Water can trap heat to maintain body temperatures in a hot or cold environment. When the outside temperature is higher than the body temperature, it helps cool the body through perspiration that evaporates on the skin, regulating body temperature.
Reason 4: Water is a lubricant
Our bodies require food and water just as cars need fuel and oil to function optimally. Water makes sure that everything in the body is well-“oiled” and running smoothly, without which our “gears” will dry up and break down.
Reason 5: Water eliminates waste and toxins from the body
The human body relies on detoxification to maintain good health. Water is a major contributor enabling the body to flush toxins out through perspiration, urination and defecation, which is why hydration has a tremendous impact on our health.
Reason 6: Water protects the spinal cord and brain
Water also protects the main human body structure: the spinal cord and brain, in the form of cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal cord. Without it, our nerve sources are extremely exposed and easily prone to injuries.
Reason 7: Water energizes the body
Water consumption directly affects your energy levels. Just a 5% drop in body fluids can cause a 30% reduction in energy. Water also provides a natural power boost by generating electrical and magnetic energy through the body cells.
Reason 8: Water strengthens your immune system
Lymph, a fluid in the immune system, contains water and helps the body fight off illnesses.
Reason 9: Water prevents clogging of arteries
Water helps prevent heart diseases and strokes by keeping the arteries in the heart and brain clog-free.
Reason 10: Water generates electricity
Water also transmits electrical signals from the brain to different parts of the body so that the eyes can see, brain can think, limbs may move, and myriad other bodily functions.
Reason 11: Water helps hormone production
A well-hydrated body is more efficient in the production of sex hormones, keeping impotence and loss of libido at bay.
Reason 12: Water helps you age gracefully
Your skin contains a lot of water, and staying hydrated maintains its health and keeps it looking good.
Reason 13: Water is a powerful solvent
Water works as a solvent to break down foods’ nutrients, minerals and vitamins. It aids metabolism and assimilation by dissolving foods into smaller particles.
Reason 14: Water protects our DNA
Water prevents damage to our DNA and keeps its repair mechanism running smoothly so that less abnormal DNA is produced.
Reason 15: Water helps you sleep
Water is essential for producing melatonin, the body’s natural sleep regulator. It helps restore the body’s regular sleep rythms.
Reason 16: Water prevents memory loss
As we get older, water is a great way to prevent memory loss and helps decrease risk of having memory loss related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Reason 17: Water helps drug and alcohol addiction
Addicts of substances such as caffeine and alcohol can curb their addictive urges by drinking water.
Reason 18: Water improves blood circulation
Since blood is primarily water, as are the human body cells, it is important to replenish them with water constantly to keep blood flowing smoothly.
Reason 19: Water keeps muscles moving
Muscles in the human body are made up of 70-75% water. When dehydrated, they get tired, tighten up, and don’t work as well – as a result, your bodily functions and performance suffer.
Reason 20: Water is good for the brain
Ditto for the brain, which is also 70-75% water. Just as muscles can’t perform when dehydrated, similarly the brain cannot think and function as effectively as it does with adequate water.
Reason 21: Water burns calories
A popular weight loss strategy is to drink lots of water throughout the day, and a glass before meals to keep from overeating. It increases body metabolism, helping fatburn as well as reduce fat deposits. Water has 0 calories – replace it for high-calorie drinks!
Reason 22: Water keeps bodily fluids balanced.
The human body is around 60% water. Drinking adequate amounts of water maintains fluid balance in the body. This has many positive health affects, such as effective nutrient transportation in the body, regulation of body temperature, and good food digestion.
Reason 23: Productivity boost
Water helps you stay focused and alert. It refreshes the mind and keeps your body functioning well, which in turn boosts productivity.
Reason 24: Water fights sickness and infection
Water helps with nasal congestion, constipation and dehydration, giving the body a push when sick.
Reason 25: Brain boost
Apparently, water encourages clearer thinking. Staying hydrated ensures that the brain is sending clear signals to the body.
Reason 26: Water keeps your bones strong
Water promotes strong bone formation and helps prevent osteoporosis, a medical condition which causes bones to weaken from loss of tissue.
Reason 27: Water keeps cancer at bay
Water keeps blood from malfunctioning and aids prevention of many types of cancer, such as Leukemia and Lymphoma.
Reason 28: Water prevents dehydration
Not drinking adequate amounts of water can cause dehydration, affecting both brain and body functions. Dehydration over a long period of time can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration, a medical condition in which the cell are constantly dehydrated, which causes them to weaken and become exposed to diseases, weakening the body’s overall immune system.
Reason 29: Water increases O2 levels
Oxygen levels in the blood increase with water intake. A well hydrated body is able to perform better with higher levels of oxygen, with increased energy, better metabolism and fat burn.
Reason 30: Water makes you happy
Not kidding. Drinking water helps the body refill on its stock of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which maintains your mood balance, a lack of which can lead to depression. There can’t be a better reason to drink water.
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Interesting Facts about Water
- The human body is made of approximately 70% water – for infants, it’s 80%.
- A healthy person can drink about 48 cups of water a day – that’s three gallons!
- Water intoxication happens when you take in too much water and is most likely to occur during intense athletic performances.
- The eight-glasses-of-water-a-day rule is a myth. Research shows that even 4-6 glasses may be enough depending on lifestyle, weight, diet, etc.
- Not all water consumed in a day has to be water alone – almost all forms of food and drink supplies the body with some water.
- While beverages such as coffee and tea are nearly entirely water, they contain caffeine which prevents water from traveling efficiently in the body.
- By the time you feel thirsty, your body has already lost over 1% of its total water.
- Almost 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water.
- Amazingly, the same water that was on the earth millions of years ago still exists today.
- The weight that you lose immediately after exercise or intense physical activity is water weight, not fat weight.
Tips to Drink Water
- Keep water nearby: Keep a large bottle (1-1.5 liters) next to where you spend most of your time, e.g. on your desk or next to the sofa.
- Use technology: Use an app to track your water intake.
- Add flavor to water: Add a few slices of lemon to your water bottle for flavorful sips instead if you don’t enjoy the tastelessness of water.
- Use a marked water bottle: Mark your bottle according to time to make sure you finish your targeted water intake on time.
- Carry water with you: Take water with you in a bottle wherever you go to ensure you’re taking in enough.
- Start meals with water: Prompt yourself to drink a glass before each meal.
- Start your day with water: Having 1-2 glasses of water soon after waking up in the morning boosts your energy levels and metabolism, and increases your productivity.
- Refill: Keep your glasses/bottles replenished; you’re more likely to drink when you see a full glass of water.
- Gradually build water consumption: Increase your intake day by day until you reach your target, as a drastic increase may come as a shock to your body.
- Drink hot water: Drinking warm or even hot water especially at night can help soothe and relax the body. Add honey, lavender or other flavors to enhance the taste.
Do you know the importance of drinking filtered water? If not, click on the link to find out.
Useful Water Tracking Apps
Water Filter Recommendations
Best Pitcher Water Filter
Best Faucet Water Filter
Check out all the different types of the best water filter here
Book Recommendations
- “Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life: You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty!” by F. Batmanghelidj. Link here.
- “The Water Puzzle and the Hexagonal Key: Scientific Evidence of Hexagonal Water and Its Positive Influence on Health” by Mu Shik John. Link here.
- “Obesity, Cancer, Depression: Their Common Cause and Natural Cure” by F. Batmanghelidj. Link here.
Click here for the most recommended books in general.
